Avenger
by Obelisk of Light
Summary: A week after the formation of Team Seven, Sasuke wants to talk to Obito-sensei about the Uchiha clan. It isn't a topic Obito would like to discuss, but there's no point in postponing the inevitable. AU one-shot.


**Avenger**

**Summary: **A week after the formation of Team Seven, Sasuke wants to talk to Obito-sensei about the Uchiha clan. It isn't a topic Obito would like to discuss, but there's no point in postponing the inevitable. AU one-shot.

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Alternate universe

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto _and I'm not making any money by publishing this fan fiction.

**Beta: **Angel Wings-008

**Author's Notes: **Obito's pretty serious in this one.

This fic is dedicated to the awesome Vesper Core for inspiring the story in its current form and helping me out with Sasuke's dialogue here and there.

* * *

Obito Uchiha was a survivor.

He was standing in front of Konoha's Memorial Stone, paying his respects to the dead when the sun was beginning to set.

_Rin._

_Minato-sensei. _

_You too, Kakashi._

The Memorial Stone dragged him into reminiscence, as always.

All those years ago, when Kakashi had barely graduated to the rank of Jonin, their team had gone to the Grass Country on an A-rank mission. The mission in which Rin, the only girl he'd fallen in love with, had been killed because Kakashi had been a stickler for the rules.

That mission destroyed the remnants of his and Kakashi's fragile friendship, which time couldn't mend. For Kakashi had died heroically, along with Minato-sensei, on the night of the Kyuubi attack. Even now, Obito had not forgiven Kakashi completely for the way he abandoned Rin. And yet, whenever Obito remembered his childhood team, he remembered the inflexible Kakashi too.

Obito had been on a patrolling mission when Kyuubi struck, too far away from Konoha to help.

He'd been on mission duty during the Uchiha massacre too. He was spared only because he did not wish to stay with the clan sometime after Rin's death. Honestly, he felt that the clan was a little too uptight and thought him to be too cheerful for their standards. Surprisingly, the clan didn't disown him, maybe because he generally chose to stay away. However, he didn't approve of Itachi's horrific actions.

He came back to the present as he heard a sharp sound, followed by approaching footsteps. It was Sasuke Uchiha, one of his students.

* * *

In Sasuke's honest opinion, Obito was too cheerful for a Jonin. He was a little too much like the dead-last loser for comfort, even though his dressing sense and mannerisms weren't as loud (his outfit had more black than orange) and he wasn't a ramen addict. (When Naruto had used that inane Sexy Jutsu on the Jonin after the introduction session, Obito had laughed while sporting a slight nosebleed, instead of reprimanding the loser. Sasuke was annoyed; the team didn't need one more fool.)

Sasuke still had trouble believing that they were from the same clan. He could hardly wait to see Obito's Sharingan in action – assuming it had awakened by now.

When Obito Uchiha had introduced himself as Team Seven's leader, Sasuke had been stunned. _Another survivor? Is he an Uchiha for real? If he's real, does he also want revenge? _

These thoughts had plagued him for a week, before he could find an opportunity to ask Obito about the clan without alerting his fellow Genin teammates.

At the moment, Sasuke was walking towards the Memorial Stone. In casual conversation during one of many mundane D-rank missions over the past seven days, soon after the bell test, Obito had mentioned that he had a habit of visiting the Memorial Stone in the evenings when he was in town.

As he approached the Stone, he could see Obito in front of it, standing silently as though lost in the past. He alerted Obito to his presence before walking towards him, preparing himself for the role of interrogator.

* * *

Obito's eyes were on Sasuke as he came closer. His expression was characteristically unreadable, but his body seemed tense. Perhaps he wanted to talk about the massacre. Obito wasn't entirely keen on the topic, even though talking about it was inevitable.

_It's time._

"Hello there, Sasuke," said Obito. "What brings you here?"

"Are you really an Uchiha?" asked Sasuke. He wasn't one who liked to beat around the bush.

"I am."

"Prove it."

Wordlessly, Obito turned on the Sharingan and held Sasuke's gaze, which he returned for a few moments before shuddering uncharacteristically. Obito immediately dropped the Sharingan state and asked, "Are you all right?"

Sasuke composed himself quickly.

"Hn, so you really are an Uchiha."

Obito chuckled, for Sasuke actually sounded a little awe-struck when he said that. This earned him a prompt glare from the younger Uchiha.

"I want to talk about the clan."

"I guessed that."

"I see …"

An uncomfortable silence followed, during which Sasuke seemed to be thinking how to start the sensitive topic.

"Where were you during the massacre?"

"On a mission."

"Did it have anything to do with the massacre?"

"Are you accusing me of collaborating with Itachi?" Obito responded coolly. The boy was no expert at interrogation, and Obito would be damned if he'd be intimidated so easily by a student from his second Genin team, Uchiha or not. Normally he wouldn't be hostile towards a student, but Sasuke was a special case.

"Of course not," he backtracked. "I need your help."

"For what?"

"To destroy Itachi and revive the clan."

Obito sighed. "Sasuke … I can't help you."

"What?" Sasuke didn't show any disappointment or disbelief on the outside. Maybe he knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"I don't think any of the older Uchihas mentioned me when you were younger. Then again, you probably wouldn't remember."

"What does this have to do with my request?"

"It isn't as irrelevant as you think, Sasuke. The Uchiha clan barely tolerated my presence when I was old enough to be a shinobi. Apparently, I was too cheerful to be considered a real Uchiha, even by my caregivers." Obito smiled wryly. "I left before they could kick me out, and they didn't disown me entirely because I didn't knock on their doors again.

"I might've helped the clan if I was around at the time of the massacre, but then again, I doubt I'm a match for Itachi."

"You can still help me. Itachi _is _a missing-nin any—"

"Sasuke," Obito interrupted him, "If my last name wasn't 'Uchiha', you certainly wouldn't be talking to me about this."

When Sasuke didn't respond, Obito continued, "You'll end up killing yourself –"

"Funny," muttered Sasuke, "Itachi practically called me a weakling that night."

"Be reasonable!" Obito spoke, as though reprimanding a child. "Hunting down missing-nin is the ANBU's responsibility, not yours, no matter how personal the stakes are!"

"Then I'll become an ANBU."

_You're as stubborn as Kakashi was, kid._

"If you abandon the village, you will hurt many."

"I don't care."

_Stubbornness will get you only so far, Sasuke. _

Obito spoke again after a brief pause. "Sasuke, as your sensei, I can train you. But I cannot abandon the village, nor can I permit you to leave without the Hokage's consent."

"Fine," Sasuke snapped. "We're not talking about this again." He turned away from Obito and stalked through the Memorial grounds in the direction of his apartment. The prominent Uchiha crest on the back of his white shirt was visible in the fast-dimming twilight.

_Well, Sasuke, I can't promise that._

_

* * *

_

Sasuke leaped from rooftop to rooftop, heading towards his apartment. He had relied far too much on his and Obito's kinship. He wouldn't rule things out entirely, though, for he would have to turn to Obito for guidance when his own Sharingan would awaken. If the Jonin refused to train him, then he'd be the truly lone avenger he always was.

_Fin. _


End file.
